About Clutia pulchella L.
Clutia pulchella L. typically grows 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 ft) tall, and grows across a variety of broken terrain types. Its twigs are green and bear small wart-like growths. Leaf shape is somewhat variable, being either blunt-tipped ovate or broadly lanceolate. Foliage is bluish-green, sometimes mixed with scattered bright orange leaves. The leaves are soft in texture, with venation that appears transparent when held against light, and numerous glands dot the surface of each leaf. Axillary flowers of Clutia pulchella L. develop into spherical capsules that are distinctly three-chambered. These capsules are around 3 millimetres (0.12 in) in diameter, and may also bear warts. Seeds are released when the mature dry capsules burst open. This species acts as a food plant for the Heidelberg copper butterfly. It closely resembles the related monoecious species Clutia abyssinica, which differs by having more elongated leaves.
